


Your Lie Etched into My Skin

by SJMW_Fangirl



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Injury, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff will be later, Heavy Angst, Hurt, Hurt Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Hurt Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Reveal, Injury, Lies, Major Character Injury, PTSD, Post-Battle, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmate AU, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, ansgty, hurt Marinette, much later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-29
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:49:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22459021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SJMW_Fangirl/pseuds/SJMW_Fangirl
Summary: After the war is won and the battle is over, Ladybug hears an earth-shattering lie among the rubble.orA Soulmates AU where the first lie your soulmate tells you appears on your body and every time they lie to you after that, your soulmark tingles and acts like a lie-detector.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 36
Kudos: 192





	1. I'm Fine...

**Author's Note:**

> So, I was not intending to write this today, but sometimes inspiration strikes and you just have to roll with it!

If there was one person in the world that she could trust, it was her partner. He was always there for her, a steady presence by her side, and an encouraging word in her ear.

He was honest and trustworthy, and she trusted him with her life. She trusted him to have her back, to always tell her the truth, to no matter what.

And he did. If there was one thing that Chat Noir was, it was an honest man. He never told her a lie, never gave her a false hope that he didn’t fully believe in. Which was why when it happened, it came as such a shock to her.

The battle was over. The city was quiet and devastated. They’d finally beaten their adversary, but at a considerable cost. Ladybug’s earrings and Chat’s ring were collateral damage. They’d been destroyed in a last-ditch effort to keep them from evil’s claws, a tactic that worked, but resulted in a massive shockwave that spanned the evacuated city and knocked the heroes and their adversary out.

When Marinette woke, it was to a throbbing pain in her left leg and a dull ache in her head. She peeled her eyes open to find her leg trapped under a large chunk of rubble.

She hissed quietly at the pain, gripping her leg with one hand and ineffectually pushing at the rubble with the other. A minute into her futile efforts, her eyes widened, and she looked around in panic. “Chat?! Chat!” She screamed, seeing no sign of him.

A few seconds later, she heard his voice, and her heart sank. His voice was barely audible, weak, and strained in pain. “I-I’m here, M’lady…”

She twisted around, trying to locate the source of the voice behind her. “Chat? Are you okay?” She called.

There was a ragged exhale before she heard him once more. “I’m… I’m fine.” He mumbled.

Marinette’s eyes widened, and she inhaled sharply at the sudden burning sensation as his words were quickly seared across her arm in elegant calligraphy. She gripped her wrist as she stared down at the blood-red scrawl, her breath faltering as her broken world shattered around her.

“Chat?” She whispered, tears in her voice and her eyes. She lifted a hand to cover her mouth as she sobbed.

_ He can’t- He never lies- He’s my soulmate, and this is how I found out? Oh no. No. No, no, no, he’s going to die. He’s lying. He’s not fine. I’m going to lose my soulmate and I never even got to- _

“Marinette?” Chat’s voice startled her from her internal panic.

Shock ran through her as she sat there, staring down at the letters. Her fingers ran over the words on her arm, her skin tingling lightly from the sensation. “You knew?” She asked quietly.

There was silence for a moment before he answered. “Yeah… You uh, you remember The Painter?”

She nodded quietly. The Painter had been one of the first villains they’d taken down together. “Yeah, I remember.”

Chat coughed lightly, making her worry spike. “Remember… at the school…” He inhaled with difficulty, a small whimper passing his lips. “We couldn’t find you after.” He finished in a rush.

She thought back to that day, recalling the battle and what happened after. She’d made it back later than she meant to, and her classmates were all searching for her. When they saw her, Adrien had rushed up to ask her where she was…

_ Adrien... Chat is Adrien. _

“You asked where I was.” She said softly, more tears spilling over her cheeks.

“Ye-” Chat broke off with a forceful bout of coughing, Marinette biting her lip hard and shutting her eyes as she listened to the wet choking sound in his throat.

He continued once he regained his breath. “You said you were hiding in the janitor’s closet.” He whispered, a small strain of happiness in his voice. “And I got your words.”

Marinette gripped her arm tightly, holding back a sob. “Why… Why didn’t you say anything?”

Chat sighed softly. “I was too scared. And then when I realized you were Ladybug…” He trailed off for a few too many moments for her comfort. “You didn’t want us to know… Our identities.” He whined softly, and it sounded like he was shifting. “I thought… When we defeated Hawkmoth… I’d… Let the cat out of the bag.” He said, a familiar inflection in his voice that told her he was smirking.

She laughed, but the noise soon became hysterical because he was still making puns. He was her soulmate, he was dying, but he was still trying to make her laugh.

“Marinette…” The soft whisper had her calming down again, her laughter turning into quiet sniffles. “I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you… Not like this.” He murmured.

Marinette tilted her head as she stared at the freshly burned words across her arm. “I’m sorry too... I gave you awful words.” She said, because if he was trying to make her laugh, then she could at least return the favor before it was too late.

The quip made him laugh, and his bright giggles, though weak and just a little manic, brought a smile to her face as she closed her eyes again.

They were both quiet for a bit. Marinette’s headache grew more pronounced as the time passed, and she moved to lay back, her eyes closing.

“Marinette. I just- I don’t… I don’t think I’m going to make it out of this one, M’lady.” Adrien whispered, his voice almost strangled as he forced the words out despite his waning strength. “I have to tell you. Before it’s too late.” He coughed, and the liquid sound of it had more tears welling beneath her lashes. “I love you. I always have. You have to know that.” He said desperately.

“I know.” She told him, wanting more than anything to be able to reach out and take his hand to give it a reassuring squeeze. To see those bright green eyes of his, to hold him close to her chest. To press her lips against his just once before he faded away.

She opened her eyes and stared up at the dismal sky that was filled with grey clouds and smoke. “I love you too.” She whispered, tears slipping down into her hairline. “I love you so much, Adrien!” She cried, eyes closing as the pain behind her eyes increased, and sobs wracked her body.

“Shh, it’s okay, Bugaboo,” Adrien whispered, trying to soothe her, but the words just cut into her heart as her soulmark tingled, informing her that he was lying again.

“It’s not okay.” She whimpered, sniffing forcefully. “I don’t want to lose you.” She whispered.

“Bug… Don’t cry.” He breathed, so softly that she could hardly hear him. “I love you.”

She inhaled anxiously, her voice shaky and small as she answered. “I love you too.”

Seconds passed with no answer, no sound from her partner. “Chat?” She called, her voice cracking.

Tears glazed over her blue eyes as she broke down, clear rivulets flowing from her eyes as she squeezed them shut and wept silently for her lost loved one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I know, I'm a horrible human being. But honestly, I made myself cry so much while I was writing this. I hope you all enjoyed it! I'm going to try and update at least once a month, but I make no promises as I am currently attempting to write an original novel and life just gets in the way a lot. But I have plans for this story and I will finish it eventually. That being said, I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions! Let me know what you think will happen or want to happen and your idea may just make it into the story. ;D Have a wonderful day, bugs and cats!


	2. Letting It Slip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien's POV of the last chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you read, I just want to thank you all for the kudos and comments on the last chapter. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
> 
> Also, just a warning to my readers: This chapter is a little more graphic, because it deals with the injuries that Adrien received. I tried not to make it too intense or focused on that, but if you are uncomfortable reading, please feel free to skip this chapter.

Consciousness came with a searing fire in his chest and a coarse scream leaving his lips as Adrien’s body tensed, the muscles in his back contracting to make him arch, but the long, thin beam of iron that pierced his chest restricting the movement. 

The scream quickly dissolved with the lack of air behind it, leaving the young hero gasping for breath. The pain in his chest was slowly dulling, which he absently noted was probably not a good thing, though it allowed him to take stock of himself. There was a slight ringing in his ears, and his head ached slightly, but it wasn’t bad. He took advantage of that to lift his head slightly, looking down at his body.

Bile burned the back of his throat as he stared at the iron sticking out of the right side of his chest, which no doubt accounted for his difficulty breathing. He looked away from that quickly before the offensive liquid could make it past his lips, swallowing thickly. He realized next that his suit had disappeared, and he was in his civvies, which were so shredded that they could barely be called clothes. His hand twitched in an automatic response to grab the fabric, making him cry out again, pain reverberating up his arm, into his shoulder, where it spread out in prickling sparks of pain all over his body.

The cry turned into a pained whimper as Adrien’s head fell back against the rubble. It took a moment for the pain to fade again, and Adrien slowly looked down at his right arm, eyes widening. His right hand and forearm were bruised heavily, so much so that they had to be broken, dark blues, royal purples, and near blacks made his arm almost unrecognizable as a human limb. And when he followed the line of his arm up, he saw black lines crawling over his shoulder, stretching out in a million little branches, like an inky print of lightning tattooed into his skin.

His attention shifted once again as a bit of red caught his attention, drawing his eyes just past his arm to see a pool of blood spreading out from under him.

He closed his eyes to the sight and focused on breathing as he attempted to catalogue the rest of his injuries. His left arm was buried under some loose debris, feeling bruised, but not broken. He could move it a little, so at least the bits of brick and building weren’t cutting off the blood flow to it. His legs were similarly bruised and battered, but they were feeling more numb, a slight tingling sensation crawling over them. A small part in the back of his brain told him that was likely from the worrying amount of bloodloss and lack of oxygen.

He tried to inhale deeply, to drag more oxygen into his lungs, or more likely, lung, singular. The action proved foolhardy when it only made things worse. His lungs started to spasm, the man beginning to cough, flecks of red painting his lips and coating his tongue with a copper tang.

He turned his head when he managed to breathe again, spitting the blood out onto the dusty ground and grimacing as a little trickled down his cheek.

His eyes closed again as he tried to regulate his breathing, being sure to take slower, shallower breaths.

Once he thought he had the needed breath, he opened his eyes, lifting his head slightly and calling out for his partner.

There was no answer other than his harsh breathing, prompting him to call again and again until finally, he had to give up as he coughed up more blood and struggled to breathe properly.

The sweet croon of sleep started to lull him to rest, a distant promise of empty blackness crowding in around the edges of his vision. But he couldn’t give in to its siren call. He knew that if he did, there’d be no waking up. Not with the blood he was losing, not with the way his breathing crackled with a slight liquid sound. He couldn’t die, not yet.

Not when he still hadn’t told her.

So he forced himself to stay awake by taking in the state of the world around him. He was still in Paris, though one would hardly recognize it by the state of the city. The Eiffel Tower loomed in the distance, or rather what was left of it did. Only the bottom portion of the tower still stood, the rest toppled over and scattered across the city.

Now that he thought about it, the piece of metal that was impaling him was likely from the tower. It was a little ironic. The tower was symbolic of the city, the people, everything and everyone that he had tried so hard to protect the past six years- And here a piece of it would ultimately be what killed him.

He glanced around at the buildings, broken and decimated, not a single one recognizable to the Parisian. He closed his eyes, taking a moment just to be grateful that the city had worked so hard and fast to evacuate everyone.

He opened them again before he could fall asleep, staring up at the smoke-filled sky and around him at the gigantic piles of crumbled construction.

“Chat?! Chat!”

Emerald eyes flew open at the sound of his lady’s voice, the man briefly wondering when he’d closed them before he answered, hating how weak he sounded to his own ears. “I-I’m here, M’lady…”

“Chat? Are you okay?” She called, and she must have heard the pain in his voice as well if she sounded that worried.

He sighed, hating that he had to do it this way, but letting the lie slip past his lips. “I’m… I’m fine.”

He heard her gasp and closed his eyes as she said his name, unsure and heartbroken as she started to cry.

“Marinette…” He waited for her to answer, but all that came was labored breathing, his own, and hers. “Marinette?” He called again, his concern spiking.

Her heavy breathing quieted before he heard a small, “You knew?”

Adrien bit his lip slightly as he turned his head, staring at the mountain of rubble that separated them. “Yeah… You uh, you remember The Painter?” He asked, unsure because that villain had been so long ago taken down

“Yeah, I remember.” She answered softly.

He nodded, lightly coughing as it was growing harder to breathe. “Remember… at the school…” He inhaled carefully, hoping she couldn’t hear the rippling of blood in his throat and whimpering at the pain in his chest. “We couldn’t find you after.” He finished quickly before holding his breath, hoping the coughing fit that was trying to grip his lungs would pass.

It took a moment for her to put the pieces together. “You asked where I was.”

Adrien nodded and started to answer, but choked as his lungs spasmed, the coughing spell he’d been holding back hitting him hard. Cough after cough racked his body, blood splashing up his throat and gurgling with each attempted breath.

He turned his head, letting it all flow out of his mouth and onto the stone beneath him. He was lightheaded by the time it passed, but still, he pressed on with their conversation. She deserved to know before- Before it was too late.

“You said you were hiding in the janitor’s closet.” He whispered, the tiniest strain of a smile on his face as he remembered the day. “And I got your words.”

“Why… Why didn’t you say anything?” She asked, Adrien frowning as he heard the tears in her voice. He didn’t want her to cry. Not while he was still there.

“I was too scared. And then when I realized you were Ladybug…” His voice faded, and he took a moment to draw a breath. “You didn’t want us to know… Our identities.” He shifted a little, trying to pull away from the plash of blood that his cheek was resting in. He whined softly as the area of his chest around the beam ached, and his cheek settled back down in the noxious puddle. “I thought… When we defeated Hawkmoth… I’d… Let the cat out of the bag.” He said, forcing some flippancy into his voice, a small smirk twisting his lips as he attempted to lighten the situation.

She laughed, and a genuine smile tugged feebly at his lips, though it faded slowly as her laughter grew slightly crazed and uncontrolled.

“Marinette…” He whispered quietly. He could tell he was fading, but he couldn’t leave her like that. “I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you… Not like this.”

“I’m sorry too... I gave you awful words.” She answered.

And it was so unexpected, so honest and fond that it had him laughing, madly and weakly, but it broke the tension and allowed for a minute or two of silent rapport.

But Adrien had one last thing he needed to tell her before his greying vision went black forever. “Marinette. I just- I don’t… I don’t think I’m going to make it out of this one, M’lady.” He admitted. “I have to tell you. Before it’s too late.” He coughed, ignoring the crackle and pushing the words out with panicked desperation. “I love you. I always have. You have to know that.” He said, almost pleading with her to understand.

“I know,” She said quietly, her voice gentle. “I love you too.” Her voice grew louder. “I love you so much, Adrien!” She cried, sobbing harshly.

Adrien frowned and tried to soothe his distraught soulmate. “Shh, it’s okay, Bugaboo.” He told her, though he couldn’t force himself to believe it.

“It’s not okay,” She wept, sniffling. “I don’t want to lose you.” She breathed softly.

“Bug… Don’t cry. I love you.” He whispered, voice barely audible as he felt himself start to sink into the dark sea that had been slowly drowning him since he woke up.

“I love you too.” She said, her voice distant and tinny as the model slipped under the waves, and the tide carried him out to the inky depths of the deadly ocean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know... I'm still evil. What can I say? I'm an author and therefore must build emotion! Let me know if you have an idea or suggestions for this, it may just make it into the story. *wink wink* ;)
> 
> Oh! And this story is also on Wattpad if you want to read it there. I also have an Instagram account where I posted an edit I did for the cover of this story. My username is sallywedits if you'd like to check that out. 
> 
> Thank you for reading and please stay home and stay safe. ❤


End file.
